Learn “A Welsh Folk Song A Week” with Arfon Gwilym

trac is launching a new free resource – Cân Werin yr Wythnos (A Welsh Folk Song A Week) with the help of one of the most respected names in traditional Welsh music, Arfon Gwilym.

We’ll post a new song by Arfon every week. It’s an ideal way to grow your repertoire of Welsh songs and it’s perfect for learners – painlessly absorb vocab and grammar as you memorise the words to each song. The blog will build up over time into a comprehensive collection of traditional folk songs from Wales.

Every song is given in its pure and simple traditional form – unaccompanied voice – in a soundfile for you to learn in the old style: by ear. There are lyrics with an explanation in English as to the theme of the song, plus examples of interpretations; where other artists have taken the songs, adding harmonies and arrangements.

Arfon said to us at the Big Experiment Arbrawf Mawr (trac’s annual folk school), “I’ve been surprised to find that songs I thought everyone knew were unfamiliar to many of the singers in the class. What if I were to record a collection of traditional favourites, to make it easier for everyone to learn them?” We jumped at the chance to help, and are pleased to add Arfon’s song collection to the resources already on the trac website. (If you haven’t checked out the videos, soundfiles, blogs and more, click the Resources button for a look.)

Mastered at Hafod Mastering and illustrated with photography by John Pocklington, we hope that as the Folk Song A Week collection builds up so people of all ages all over Wales will learn the songs and sing them for their own pleasure or together with friends. You can sign up on the blog to receive a reminder each time a new song is posted.

2 Comments

Sally Lewis Roof on 27th February 2018 at 6:02 pm

Hello, Years ago, I had a cd purchased here at a Gymanfa Ganu in Ohio, which contained a song I have been trying to identify. The tune was beautiful( aren’t they all) and extremely sad. The lyrics were about a father leaving his dead child at the grave, worrying that he will be cold, remembering how they had asked other children to be quiet as the child was ill. I don’t have the cd and any help will be appreciated. Thank you.